Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Loyall Life Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4.5 stars.
The Loyall Life product line includes the 10 dry dog foods listed below.
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Loyall Life Puppy Large Breed | 4.5 | A |
| Loyall Life Adult Chicken and Brown Rice | 4.5 | M |
| Loyall Life Adult Lamb Meal and Brown Rice | 3.5 | M |
| Loyall Life Puppy Chicken and Brown Rice | 5 | A |
| Loyall Life All Life Stages Chicken and Brown Rice | 4.5 | A |
| Loyall Life Adult Large Breed Chicken and Brown Rice | 4 | M |
| Loyall Life Adult Large Breed Lamb Meal and Brown Rice | 4 | M |
| Loyall Life Adult Beef and Barley | 4.5 | M |
| Loyall Life Adult Large Breed Beef and Barley | 4 | M |
| Loyall Life Sensitive Skin and Coat Adult Salmon and Oatmeal | 3.5 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Loyal Life All Life Stages Chicken and Brown Rice was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Loyall Life All Life Stages Chicken and Brown Rice
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain sorghum, brown rice, brewers rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dried peas, dried plain beet pulp, natural chicken flavor, ground flaxseed, fish meal (source of DHA), fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), potassium chloride, dried egg product, salt, yeast culture, monocalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, inulin, vitamin E supplement, l-threonine, ground garbanzo beans, ground lentils, dried tomato pomace, dried apple pomace, dried kelp, dried carrots, dried sweet potatoes, dried blueberries, vitamins (vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, niacin supplement, riboflavin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, biotin, folic acid, thiamine mononitrate), minerals (zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese sulfate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate), dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum, fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 26% | 16% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 29% | 18% | 45% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 25% | 37% | 39% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
The second ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient is sorghum. Sorghum (milo) is a starchy cereal grain with a nutrient profile similar to corn.
Since it is gluten-free and boasts a smoother blood sugar behavior than other grains, sorghum may be considered an acceptable non-meat ingredient.
The fourth ingredient is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The fifth ingredient is brewers rice. Brewers rice is a cereal grain by-product consisting of the small fragments left over after milling whole rice. Aside from the caloric energy it contains, this item is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The sixth ingredient is chicken fat. This item is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The seventh ingredient includes dried peas. Dried peas are a good source of carbohydrates. Plus they’re naturally rich in dietary fiber.
However, dried peas contain about 27% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The eighth ingredient is beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.
After the natural chicken flavor, we find flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Nutrena product.
With 6 notable exceptions…
First, we find fish meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.
Fish meal is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations.1
Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. Because various fish contain different types of fats, we would have preferred to have known the source species.
Next, we note the use of tomato and apple pomace, the solid by-product of vegetables and fruit after pressing for juice or oil. This item contains the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems of the fruit.
Pomace can be a controversial ingredient. Some praise pomace for its high fiber, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough vegetable pomace here to make much of a difference.
In addition, we note the inclusion of inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and typically sourced from chicory root.
Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.
Next, we find garbanzo beans and lentils. Both are nutritious members of the fiber-rich legume (pulse) family of vegetables.
However, garbanzos contain about 22% protein and lentils contain about 25% protein, something which must be considered when evaluating the total protein reported in this food.
Also worth noting is the presence of sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.
And lastly, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Loyall Life Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 29%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 45%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat level of 16%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 48% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 59%.
Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the dried peas, flaxseed, garbanzo beans and lentils, this looks like the profile of a kibble still containing a notable amount of meat.
Loyall Life Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Loyall Life through May 2024.
No recalls noted.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Loyall Life Grain Inclusive Dog Food
Loyall Life is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a notable amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4.5 stars.
Compare Loyall Life Dog Food
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